Parallel Culture, Part III: The Power of the Consumer

Parts I and II of this series were concerned with geographic and political space while Part III will be concerned with behavioral and social aspects of culture. One of the ways in which we support, regardless of intent or consciousness, the dominant culture and its activities, is through our behavioral choices. We are aware that these activities collectively contribute to global warming, energy scarcity, and a plethora of other ills.

So as we bank with conventional banking institutions, invest in mutual funds that hold portfolios of companies that clearcut old growth forests, or purchase products that are unsustainable or packaged with swaths of plastic, we are all making decisions that provide financial and market support to the companies that contribute to these degradations. Many of us have replaced products or services that we have a moral or practical reason to avoid with alternatives that are less toxic, recyclable, or not made with child slave labor. Yet as we make these consumer shifts, many companies are continuing to devise product lines that offer more disposables or have some other harmful characteristic. But that's not what this piece is about. I will leave it to others to write at length about the unsustainable practices of companies and their products. My purpose here is to suggest that our collective sets of behaviors can change the landscape of power and control. Will it be easy? Not at all. Social pressures to conform meld with mass media messages to create a set of norms that most find hard to resist. But as freedoms and choices dwindle, this may be the last best time to try to take back control for the citizen.

Many are aware that corporate power was initially limited in America and the first corporations were benign creations of the State and charters could be revoked for any coloring outside the lines. But 1000 legislative and judicial cuts led to a much stronger corporate framework culminating in the landmark decision in Santa Clara County v. Southern Pacific Railroad Company, 118 U.S. 394 (1886) which is generally credited with establishing corporate personhood which, by extension, allowed them, among other benefits, to claim 14th Amendment rights. So today, the corporation stands alone as the most powerful force in our society. To a great extent, democracy has been usurped by lobbying that is assisted by corporate funded think tanks, foundations, and law practices all working together to feed the corporate appetite for growth and control. It is this growth model, generally unassailed by the media and general public, that is responsible for climactic destruction and dependence on petroleum. For a good historical analysis of how this came about, read Alex Carey's "Taking the Risk Out of Democracy".

I will risk repetitiveness and proffer in summary on this point that corporate power in the pursuit of profit for shareholders, unquestionably the central (sole?) purpose of the corporate entity, regardless of the noble but empty language emanating from annual reports, is the driving force of our destructive culture and its institutions. Therefore, rationalizing that this will not change without a meltdown is probably a safe bet.

So what to do...? Hey, we all need to acquire the basic necessities of life and at times have our wants satisfied as well. Many of these wants and needs are satisfied through the marketplace, particularly in today's cultural model. While acknowledging that corporations often seek to co-op good ideas and competing ventures, no matter how small, it is logical to assume that enough persistent effort to develop and strengthen locally owned and operated small business enterprises plus a reverse course on self-sufficiency (e.g. beginning to fend for ourselves again) may start to create a framework, maturing far down the road, to marginalizing corporate entities and taking back power for local communities. An important aspect of this type of effort is having the personal discipline to avoid buying and acquiring more than you need. Most of us know this but our lives are plugged in and so routinized that it is difficult to take the time and make the adjustments necessary to break away. It takes effort and persistence. We not only need to buy smart and with a moral antenna but we also need to buy much, much less. While advertising and PR machines ramp up their propaganda and fear- or vanity-based advertising messages, we need to:

1. Avoid them when possible (less and less a choice but watching less TV is a good start...see Mental Detox Week)
2. See through their manipulative purposes (a fun task actually)
3. Avoid absorbing and internalizing the message (you don't need new styles annually, your face is actually very pretty, Madden 2009 really isn't all that different than 08, 07, 06....)
4. Know that it isn't your job to keep this economy humming.
5. Buy local and build lasting relationships with local merchants or become one yourself
   
6. Just consume less and see yourself as a citizen and not just a consumer.
   

How would corporate entities react to such a serious and broad effort to render them redundant and unnecessary? My guess is not without a fight. There may be legislative, judicial, financial, and cultural blowback that provides a serious push back to this type of effort. Some of it may even appear, at first or second glance, to be the same form of folksy, local entity or effort that dovetails with a move away from the globalized. For false "grass roots" organizations have fronted for corporations since the Sagebrush Rebellion and even before serving to counter the real efforts by citizens to improve their lives and communities.

In the end, it may well be an idea well worth pursuing given the alternatives and stakes. In conclusion, I would recommend getting involved with local merchant economy organizations in your community such as those sponsored by BALLE, the American Independent Business Alliance, or the National Trust's Main Street program. Support "buy local" programs or attend local street fairs and festivals. Find alternatives to non-local merchandise and entertainment at the local level and keep us informed of new ideas along the way.